Process of generating acetylene gas.



No. 731, 52. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

G. J. ATKINS.

PRUGESS 0F GENERATING AGETYLENE GAS.

' APPLICATION nun Jun 5, 1900.

Tn: Norms PEYERS oolmonmuma. WASHINGTON. o c

' UNITED, STATES Patented .Tune 23, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

PROCESS OF GENERATING AC ETYLENE GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,652, dated June 23,19034.

To all whom it WWI/y concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J ONES ATKINS, metallurgical chemist, asubject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at the Laboratory,Ruskin Road, Tottenham, in the county of Middlesex, England, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture ofGases and other Products, (for which I have applied for patents in thefollowing countries: Great Britain, dated N ovember 9, 1899, No. 22,425;France, dated May 7, 1900; Belgium and Sweeden, May 8,, 1900; Italy,Austria, and Spain, May 9, 1900;

Norway, May 15, 1900; Switzerland, May 16,

1900; Denmark, May 19, 1900, and Hungary,

May 21, 1900;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will e11- ableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to the manufacture of gas or gaseous vapor forilluminating and other purposes and other chemical compounds or residualproducts of a more or less valuable character.

The accompanying drawings illustrate diagrammatically apparatus whichmay conveniently be employed for carrying out this invention; but I wishit to be clearly understood that I do not limit myself to the use of theapparatus illustrated, as more or less similar, apparatus may beemployed without departing from my invention.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views of two differentforms of gas- -generating apparatus.

For the purpose of my invention I take a suitable carbid-such as calciumcarbid, (Oa(l,,) for example-and bring itinto contact with solid orcomparatively dry salts or other compounds or substances containinghydrogen and oxygen either in chemical combination as water ofcrystalization-such as sodium carbonate (Na OO 10H O) or potash alum,(Al,(SO,) K SO,24:H O,) for exampleor as water of combination with otherelements, not including, however, water in its ordinaryliquidstateuncombined with other substances-such as crushed potatoes, grapeand other fruit waste, seaweed, etcall of which contain H O as water ofcombination alongwith various salts and other substances.

For example, I take, say, nine molecules of calcium carbid and bring itinto intimate contact, by mixing and agitation, with one molecule ofsodium carbonate, when mutual decomposition takes place, acetylenegas isgenerated, which can be utilized for illuminating or other purposes, andthere remains a residual product consisting of calcium carbonate andoxid and sodium oxid, as shown by the following formula:

If there is any phosphide of calcium present in the calcium carbid,phosphate of soda is formed; or,for example,I take,say,nine molecules ofcalcium carbid and bring it into intimate contact by mixing andagitation with one molecule of hydrated monosulfate of soda, whendecomposition takes place, as shown in the following formula:

that is to say, acetylene is produced,and there remains as residuecalcium sulfate and sodium and calcium oxids, and I may then combinethese alkaline residues or those produced from sodium carbonate abovereferred to with an oil or other grease and water to form soap.

When using mineral salts in combination with carbid in which causticsalt remains as aresidue and I desire to utilize the latter for makingsoap, I in some cases combine with the salts before decomposition anysuitable oleaginous or resinous matters and mix them thoroughlytogether, and such oleaginous or resinous matters may consist of thewaste of oil-mills, such as that of linseed, cotton-seed, castor-oilseed, olive-oil waste, &c. All these contain oil and organic matter andthe oil is thus recovered as an oleate. If resins be used, resinates arerecovered. The addition of the oil or other grease as well as formingavaluable soap residue also plays a very important part in theproduction of the gas, as it modifies and acts as a restrainer toprevent temperature; or, again, I take calcium carbid, for example, andbring it into intimate contact with crushed potatoes or other organicmatter containing water of combinathe violent reaction and consequentrise of.

tion, (H O,) albumen, potassium salts, and starch-yielding substances.Acetylene gas is produced by the decomposition of the carbid by thewater of combination and there remains apulverulent residue consistingof calcium oxid, potassium oxid, and cellular matter containing starchand albumen, which can be removed by any known means.

I also produce acetylene gas by bringing carbid into intimate contactwith any suitable organic matter, vegetable or animal, containing waterin the form of water of combination, with the addition of mineral saltscontaining hydrogen and oxygen.

I also produce acetylene gas and lime and earth-metal products by mixingwith calcium carbid, for example, an earth-metal salt, such as potashalum, (Al(SO )3K SO 24H O,) for example; Acetylene gas is produced andthere remain as residues calcium sulfate and oxid, aluminium, andcaustic potash.

I also produce acetylene gas and alkaline or acid salts by mixing withcalcium carbid organic matter containing alkaline or acid compounds.

In treating vegetables or fruit or the waste of such substances, such asgrape waste from wine-presses or waste from fruit-pulp, (all of whichcontain water of combination,) they may be combined with the. carbidwithout adding salts, because they all contain, as well as organicmatter, both acid and alkaline salts. In the case of the acid saltscontained in the fruitsuch as tartaric, citric, and 0xalicthe limeresidue left from the decomposition of the carbid by the water ofcombination forms tartrates,citrates, and oxalates of lime,whieh can bereadily recovered by well-known means.

Seaweed taken in a solid moist state containing water of combination (H0) and potassium and sodium salts combined with ohlorids, iodids,bromids, and proto-cellular tissue may be used for decomposing carbidfor the production of gas and gives valuable residues-such as, forexample, calcium, sodium,- and potassium chlorids, iodids, and bromids,and cellular matter.

Ifthe seaweed or other cellular matter is dried and ground with asaltsuch as sodium carbonate, for examplebefore the same is mixed withthe carbid,it prevents to a great extent the volatilization of the waterof crystallization of such salt, which if allowed to take place greatlyretards the decomposing power of the salt, and larger quantities of thelatter have to be used than when volatilization of the water ofcrystallization is more or less prevented. Cellulose in the shape ofsawdust, for example, may be used for the same purpose.

By combining the oleaginous, cellular, or other organic materials abovenamed with salts that contain a large amount of water of crystallizationbefore such salts are mixed with the carbid I am enabled to overcome aserious difficulty-namely, that such salts as the carbonate and sulfateof sodium, magnesium, and aluminium that contain large quantities ofwater of crystallization generate sufficient heat to liquefy themdirectly they are brought into contact with the carbid, and there occursthen a rush of aqueous vapor, and the resulting liquid and semiliquidsalt is difficult to regulate and feed into the generator or mix withthe carbid therein. By using oil, resin, or cellular matter, however, asabove described, the generation of heat is largely prevented, thedecomposition is retarded, and great advantages are gained both asregards the regulation and controlling of the generation of the gas, thequantity of gas generated, the commercial result arising from theproduction of a valuable by-product, and facility of feeding the saltand carbidinto the generator.

The salt, when combined with the oil, resin, or other body, can be madeinto pellets of any shape and size, thus obviating the diflicultyexperienced in supplying the salt to the generator in the ordinarycrystal form or in the 3 ground form.

Aqueous vapor, if allowed to generate, acts at once upon the carbid, andif it contains any phosphides phosphoreted hydrogen is formed, which, asis well known, is Very objectionable and dangerous when mixed withacetylene gas. An important feature of my invention is that by graduallycombining the materials hereinbefore mentioned with the carbid thetemperature does not become excessive, and the aqueous constituents aredecomposed and not volatilized, so that the phosphorus remains in theresidue and is not carried off in the acetylene gas, which is thus keptcomparatively pure, less noisome than heretofore, and not liable toexplosion when compressed.

Care should be taken that the material com- ICC bined with the carbidcontains sufficient basic salt to combine with the phosphorus.

In the above description I have referred more particularly to calciumcarbid but it is obvious that any other suitable carbid may be employed,the gases generated and residual products remaining varying according tothe lnature of the materials employed.

One advantage of my process of generating not given off I am enabled togenerate the gas in a strong cylinder and obtain any degree of pressurethat the cylinder will bear, so that in using the gas for motor-carpropulsion, for example, I not only get the force of explosion,

but if compressed air be also used I get-an ,intense force in a smallcylinder, using the partition a and the two vertical partitions Z)right-and-left traversing screws and c and through which compartmentspass or conveyers d and e. f and g are feeding-hoppers havinginlet-openings furnished with air-tight covers it and i, andregulatingtaps or valves jand 7c in the necks Z and m connect the feeding-hoppersf and g with the compartments 1? and c.

p, governing the outlet 0, is closed.

'n is the gas-outlet, and 0 is the outlet for the exhausted residualproduct.

In order to charge the apparatus, the carbid and decomposing material ina granulated, powdered, or subdivided condition are placed in thefeeding-hoppers f and g, the regulating taps or valves and 7c beingclosed. The air-ti ht covers it and '5 are then replaced and the tapWhen it is required to generate gas, the spindle q, carrying thetraversing screws or conveyers d e,

is caused to rotate by means of the spur-wheel r or by other convenientmeans, and the regulating taps or valves k are so adjusted as to allowthe requisite quantity of carbid and decomposing material in the properproportion to fall into the compartments 6 and 0, respectively, wherethey are each caused to travel toward the center of the apparatus and tomeet and mix in the perforated cage 3, which rotates with the spindle qand-discharges its contents in a mixed condition through its perforatedperiphery into the bottom of the generating-chamber a, the openings inwhich are large enough to permit the discharge of the mixed contents.The cage S is attached to the blades of the screw, and therefore turnswith the spindle q. Acetylene gas is thereby generated and passes by thegas-outlet n to a reservoir or direct to the burner, as may be desired.time to time be withdrawn through the tap or The exhausted products mayfrom valve 19, or the compartments h and 0 may be filled with therespective materials and the taps or valves j closed. Then the covers hand i may be removed and the hoppers f and g recharged with freshmaterial during the process of generating gas from the materials in thecompartments 1) and c.

In Fig. 2, which illustrates another convenient form of gas-generatingapparatus, t is a drum which may be caused to rotate continuously orintermittently, as required, by any convenient and more or lessautomatic means .within an airtight casing to, which is furnished with agas-outlet v and a normally closed outlet 10 for the exhausted residualproducts. The casing to is also provided with a charging-opening whichis normally closed by an air-tight cover-w.

- The drumtis divided by a suitable partition 3 into practically twocompartments, 2 being the carbid compartment and 1 the mixing andgenerating compartment, the compartments being furnished with openingswhich are normally closedby slides '2 and .3, respectively. In order tocharge the apparatus, the cover w is removed, the drum t is rotateduntil the open I placed in V position.

ing in the compartment 2' coincides with the back, the charge of carbidintroduced into the chamber 2, and the slide 2 closed. The decomposingmaterial is then introduced into the compartment 1 in a similar manner,the slide 3 is closed, and the air-tight cover w re When it is requiredto generate gas, the drum tis caused to rotate by any suitable and moreor less automatic means in the direction of the arrow until a smallquantity of carbid falls by gravity through the opening 4:, first ontothe ledge 5, thence onto the plate 6, and through the opening 7 into thecompartment 1, where it mixes with the decomposing material, andacetylene gas is thereby generated. and passes through openings (notshown in the drawings) into ingthe slide 3 in the manner hereinbeforedescribed and rotating the drum until the opening at 3 is in the lowestposition, when the products will fall into the bottom of the casing u,from whence they may be withdrawn through the outlet 10.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. The herein-described process of generating acetylenegas and producing by-products which consists in mixing carbid of calciumwith one or more comparatively dry solid substances containing hydrogenand oxygen in the form of water, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described process of generating acetylene gas andproducing by-products which consists in mixing carbid of calcium with analkaline salt containing hydrogen and oxygen in the form of water,substantially as described.

3. The herein-described process of gen crating acetylene gas andproducing by-products which consists in mixing calcium carbid with analkaline salt and an oleaginous material, substantially as described.

4. The herein-described process of generating acetylene gas andproducing by-products which consists in separately comminuting calciumcarbid and a comparatively dry solid substance containing hydrogen andoxygen in the form of water, introducing said separate substances into aclosed receptacle, and then gradually commingling them, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE JONES ATKINS.

